This can be a difficult question to answer, as a lot will depend on your child and how easy they find it to focus when learning something new. But I can offer some advice so you can help decide what will work for you and your child. Finding the motivation to practice the piano can […]

There is a lot to be gained by playing and performing in front of other people, but it may not be for everyone. If you are learning to play the piano for yourself, and you are not interested in playing in a band or taking the piano exams, then it isn’t really necessary. If however […]

What is a time signature? If you look at a piece of music you will notice that at the beginning there are some numbers which sit on top of each other. This is a time signature, and tells the reader how many beats per bar there are. But what does the 4/4 mean exactly? The […]

There are typically three pedals on a piano. From left to right, the first pedal is called the soft pedal (or una corda), the sostenuto pedal (usually found in American-made grand pianos), and the sustain pedal (or damper). On some pianos the middle pedal is used as a muting function (not sostenuto), so the keys […]

The obvious answer is to practice – and the more you practice the better you will get! However, although this is easy to say, it’s not so easy to do. There is a lot more to learning the piano than the application of practice, and there are many effective ways to get better a lot […]

Making a piano tutorial video is not as difficult as it may seem, and if you’re like me and you don’t have any expensive equipment or advanced knowledge of camera angles and lighting, and you just want to make a good video without having to spend hours setting everything up; then here’s quick guide on […]

Well, it’s actually a lot easier than most people realise! When you first look at a sheet of music it’s easy to think that it’s way beyond comprehension and impossible to learn. But once you are taken through the basic explanation of what each note means, where it’s written on the music and where it’s […]

Are you trying to learn a new piece of music on the piano, and it seems like it’s taking forever? Would you like to know the fastest way to learn a new piece without making mistakes? Well, there is a simple way to learning and practicing a new piece, and a much faster way to […]

You may have heard the term ‘muscle memory’ and wondered what it means when learning to play the piano, and how important it is. To say that muscle memory, and the correct application of it, is important would be an understatement. But what is muscle memory and how does it apply to playing the piano? […]

This is a tricky question to answer, and is something I get asked a lot when teaching piano. Especially when someone is starting out and they would like to have an idea of how long it will take to reach a certain level. To help answer this question it really depends on what your goals […]

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Martin has successfully completed the NSPCC Programme for Child Protection Awareness in Music, in association with the NSPCC, ABRSM, Musicians' Union and Music Leader. He holds a full enhanced CRB disclosure.